William L. "Bill" Smith

William L. (Bill) Smith, 88, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on November, 18, 2025. Bill is survived by his wife of 68 years, Kathleen (Kathy) Smith, née Grimes, and his two daughters Debbie (Ron) Andrews and Denise (Nick) Burdett, DVM. He is also survived by his three grandchildren Jack (Dana) Andrews, PhD, Marcus (Samantha) Andrews, Esq., and Lindsay (Travis) McKenzie; his beloved great-granddaughter Lana McKenzie; his brother Jerry Smith and brother-in-law Roger Moore; his nieces Kendra (Phil) Densmore, Karen (Scott) Stone, Molly (Scott) Reid, Jill (Rob) Cannaday; his nephews Doug (Yanette) Smith and Curtis (Gretchen) Caldwell; and many cousins, great-nieces, and great-nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Dr. Kenneth and Garnet Smith; his sister Kaye Moore; his sisters-in-law Charlotte Caldwell and Diane Smith; his brother-in-law Jimmy Neal Grimes; and his niece Linda (Lavoy) Thompson.

Born in Bellefontaine, Ohio on April 28, 1937, Bill grew up in nearby West Liberty, Ohio apart only from some time during the Second World War when the family moved with his father, an Army veterinarian. Bill and Kathy knew each other for as long as they could remember, with their families attending the same church. Bill played center and nose tackle for the West Liberty High School football team, while also working for the local florist, Grubb's Greenhouse, and a local farmer. Bill worked in Columbus for a year after graduating in 1956, then he and Kathy married April 6, 1957 and moved to Columbus together as soon as they got back from their honeymoon at Niagara Falls. For several years Bill was co-owner of a television sale and repair store, Main TV, before taking classes at The Ohio State University and a local technical training center to become a certified electronic technician. He later worked for many years for National Computer Systems, traveling the country, and even to Canada, servicing complex university computer systems. Finally, he worked for many years for Aqua Marine Supply, near Buckeye Lake, before retiring in 2007. For the last 18 years he enjoyed semi-retirement as a small business owner, continuing to build and repair computers as the Data Doctor, while nurturing many hobbies and spending as much time as possible with his grandkids. Bill was a lifelong Buckeye fan, especially enjoying college football and basketball, and in retirement became a dedicated Columbus Blue Jackets fan. At home he was an avid reader, loved a challenging sudoku puzzle, and spent many hours in the woodworking shop he custom-built in the backyard. And despite many years spent on the road as a computer technician, Bill loved nothing more than to travel the United States: his daughters fondly remember childhood road trips with a pop-up camper, and by the time they retired Bill and Kathy had been to all 50 states, many of them more than once, and a great majority of national parks. When they weren't visiting family out west or some new landmark, Bill and Kathy enjoyed weekend getaways with their pugs to their camper at Hidden Lakes in Mt. Gilead, Ohio. But every summer had one can't-miss tradition: the Ohio State Fair, which he attended without fail from 1947 through 2023. In addition to these family traditions that Bill passed on, he will be remembered most for the values he instilled in his children and grandchildren, and for his many trademark sayings, his one-of-a-kind humor, and a mischievous smile that never went away.

Funeral services will be held at the Pfeifer-Woodyard Funeral Home at 7915 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, OH 43068, with a viewing from 4-6pm Friday, November 28, and service at 10am Saturday, November 29, with additional visitation time beginning at 9:30am. The family would also appreciate memorial donations to the American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association.

Pfeifer-Woodyard Funeral Home is honored to serve the family.